I'm from chicago, so Metropolis is definitely one I'm familiar with. I definitely recommend overdosing (19g) in a double with redline as it's very winey. However, the best fruity coffee i've had, has come from Barismo (Boston) and Bow Truss (Chicago). I can't recommend anything as their selection rotates quite frequently (usually yirgacheffe is hard to mess up).

When first starting out, I recommend buying larger sizes as some will be sink shots figuring out what you like (testing 5 shots back to back you hopefully wont be drinking every last drop of all of them either ha)

Did you change the OPV yet? If that does not make sense, search Gaggia OPV Pressure...

OPV set to 9 bar pressure will make it a lot easier. Some will argue to use it OEM until mastered and then change the OPV, but we almost all change to 9 bar and that is the reason to buy a machine with adjustable OPV. If you haven't yet,

I'm from chicago, so Metropolis is definitely one I'm familiar with. I definitely recommend overdosing (19g) in a double with redline as it's very winey. However, the best fruity coffee i've had, has come from Barismo (Boston) and Bow Truss (Chicago). I can't recommend anything as their selection rotates quite frequently (usually yirgacheffe is hard to mess up).

When first starting out, I recommend buying larger sizes as some will be sink shots figuring out what you like (testing 5 shots back to back you hopefully wont be drinking every last drop of all of them either ha)

I'm looking for a nice, honest, espresso. I'm not (yet?) a third-wave kinda of espresso drinker. I've not developed the palate to really appreciate super-complicated stuff.

I'm pulling a few every night - watching, tasting, dumping, pulling again - to get a sense of what the different flavors are, and what I like. A pound is plenty for me. I'm pretty good at buying stuff before I run out. I'm only really "drinking" one a day.

Currently I'm working on the differences between sour and bitter. For example, last night, I cut back on the dose a little, and sure enough, was able to pull a sour one by letting extract for the full time. Dumped it, tried again. Better. I'm actually glad to hear that this stands up to over-dosing, because that's the direction tend to lean toward. Thanks!

If it sounds good, it is good.~ Duke Ellington

If you sound bad on Squire through a Peavey Bandit, you're not going to sound good on a PRS through a Badcat.

Did you change the OPV yet? If that does not make sense, search Gaggia OPV Pressure...

OPV set to 9 bar pressure will make it a lot easier. Some will argue to use it OEM until mastered and then change the OPV, but we almost all change to 9 bar and that is the reason to buy a machine with adjustable OPV. If you haven't yet,

It appears that the OPV adjustment is pretty straight-forward. I'm a musician. The OPV adjustment is a lot like doing a truss-rod adjustment on a Strat: pop off the neck; make the adjustment; put the neck back on and string it back up to tension; check the action - repeat. A PITA but necessary to get your setup "dialed in." Ditto when setting the bias on a Fender tube amp. Pull some tubes, set up a bias meter, and change the settings with a screwdriver on the fly.

You're saying that it's set too LOW from the factory, and it needs to be INCREASED? Correct? Right now I don't have any reason to believe that the pressure's too low. I'm getting good timing and good crema on some pretty cheap stale espresso.

That said, if it's the general recommendation of those who use and know these machines that a quarter turn clockwise is going to increase the performance, I might as well make this adjustment now, and get accustomed to pulling at the correct pressure.

As for dosing - and this will probably get me kicked right off of CG before I even get started - but after years of cooking for a living, I work mostly from volume/sight/smell when I'm cooking. Well, "mostly" would be an understatement. I use the double, non-pressurized basket. I'm going by volume, using the Weiss distribution and N-S-E-W techniques before tamping. So far so good - see the first pictures. I'm willing to dump anything that doesn't look or taste good.

If it sounds good, it is good.~ Duke Ellington

If you sound bad on Squire through a Peavey Bandit, you're not going to sound good on a PRS through a Badcat.

Pressure comes set too high, to allow for the "perfect crema device" or pressurized PF. The approximation is 3/4 turn, 270 degrees, counter clockwise. I am not at home and have a couple articles on adjustment with and without a gauge. Some adjust blind, some measure OPV return knowing flow at 9 bar, and others use a gauge. I will try to send more this evening.

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